"I Brought Your Son Mama": Raila's Sister Painfully Mourns At Their Late Mother's Grave

Raila Odinga’s sister, Ruth Odinga, has stirred emotions across the country after visiting the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Mausoleum in Bondo, where the late opposition leader will be laid to rest. 

Her visit came just days before the planned burial ceremony, a moment she described as both heartbreaking and spiritual.

Ruth, who looked visibly moved, said she went to “inform” their late mother, Mama Mary Juma Odinga, that her son was finally coming home to rest. 

Standing before her mother’s grave, she whispered, “Mama, I brought back your son.” The words, simple but deeply emotional, have since touched thousands of Kenyans online who shared in her pain and grief.

According to the family, Raila will be buried near his father, the late Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, inside the family mausoleum in Bondo. 

The decision, reportedly outlined in Raila’s final wishes, symbolizes unity within the Odinga lineage — a homecoming to his roots. 

However, family sources noted that the burial will be private, attended only by close relatives and a few invited guests.

The mausoleum, which holds the graves of key members of the Odinga family, has been under preparation since Raila’s passing. 

Photos shared by Ruth show workers finalizing the site, with floral tributes and traditional Luo symbols meant to honor the former Prime Minister as he “joins the ancestors.”

Raila’s burial, set for Sunday, October 19, will follow Luo cultural rites meant to guide elders into the ancestral world. 

As a respected statesman and community leader, his send-off is expected to reflect both political legacy and deep cultural meaning.

Kenyans from all walks of life have continued sending comforting messages to Ruth and the Odinga family. 

“To say, ‘Mama, I brought back your son’ is not just grief, it’s closure and love,” one supporter commented online. 

Others described Ruth’s visit as a healing moment that united Bondo in collective mourning.

Meanwhile, tributes continue to pour in from leaders and citizens alike. Veteran broadcaster Fred Machokaa revealed he broke down in tears upon seeing Raila’s daughter, Winnie, clutching her father’s iconic hat during a farewell service. “That image will never leave my heart,” he said.